Getaways on a Budget

Getting away from the everyday hustle and bustle can be wonderful. Unfortunately, many families are financially strapped and never take that much-needed weekend getaway. With so many discount and coupon websites available, however, a weekend trip with the family is much cheaper than you might think!

Here are a few pointers to help you find the best deals for your family excursion…

Location:

Choose a location you can drive to. For a weekend trip, you want to maximize the time at your chosen destination, so keeping your drive-time to four hours or less is recommended. Draw a four-hour radius around your hometown, and decide which city within that circle would be the most fun for your family to visit. The larger the city, the more activities and discounts you will find.

Hotel:

Websites like Hotwire.com will give you a list of hotels within the vicinity of where you’re going. Decide on the price you’re willing to spend on a room, and choose the highest rated hotel within your price range. You’ll be surprised at the low rates you can find for high-quality hotels!

TripAdvisor can be helpful in your hotel search, too. Not only does it provide reviews on hotels within your price range, but it also provides key information about parking, nearby attractions, and even available discounts. Once you’ve found a hotel, bed and breakfast, or other lodging option, TripAdvisorwill search multiple discount sites simultaneously and help you get the best value for your money.

Activities:

What you do on your getaway can make or break the trip. To maximize your spending cash, subscribe to discount sites like Groupon or LivingSocial, and watch for entertainment deals in your destination city. These deals can range anywhere from paintball and laser tag to local water parks, spas, and restaurants. By arranging activities through these discount sites, you are guaranteed to save at least 50% off the retail value for your excursion.

Searching your destination city’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) website is another great way to save on entertainment. These sites often have links to coupons and discounts. Check out the Kansas City CVB for an example.

Lastly, let Google do the work for you. Search “coupons for (your destination),” and see all the wonderful sites that come up!

In short, the key is to take the time to plan and research your trip. By following the above guidelines, you will find deals you didn’t even know were available. Plus, with all of the cash you save, you’ll already be well on your way to saving for your next getaway!

Location

Our accelerated academic program was founded in 1960 and is designed to provide highly motivating learning activities for children at every level of ability and development. Our caring, qualified teachers guide students in this individualized program. Our monthly Bible Club plays an important role in teaching values and building strong individual character. We share Bible stories, moral values, songs, and other non-denominational Christian principles with our students.

Our schools provide each student an opportunity for optimum development—academically, socially, and emotionally. Our daily programs offer hands-on experiences in science, language, reading, math, and computers. We also teach creative expression, art, music, and dance. We encourage parents to attend field trips and participate in school functions.

Oakwood Academy - Preschool and Elementary

3850 Long Beach Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90807

Ages: 2 - 10

Phone: (562) 426-6264
Fax: (562) 490-0009

Map

Creative Day Academy

8740 Ramona St.
Bellflower, CA 90706

Ages: 2 - 2nd Grade

Phone: (562) 634-7527
Fax: (562) 634-7566

Map

Oak Tree Preschool and Kindergarten

1710 Redondo Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90804

Ages: 2 - 6

Phone: (562) 597-8611
Fax: (562) 597-2120

Map

About Us

We are proud of our highly qualified and credentialed teachers who work diligently to provide an outstanding education for all our students. We work hard to keep the lines of communication open between home and school and hope that you will contact us if you ever have a question or concern. We strongly believe students will gain a foundation for educational success and a positive self-image within our quality Christian-based programs. You can find out more about who we are in the links below.

• Staff & Classroom Websites
• Locations
• FAQ

News

So much is happening at Oakwood Academy Schools! One of our goals is to help keep you informed of all the changes and positive activities taking place on our four campus locations. We’ll be updating this page frequently with the latest news and events, always keeping you “in the know.”

 

Bedtime - Good for Everyone!

Getting enough sleep is vital to a child’s growth and education. Think of how you feel when you are tired—grumpy, irritable, you have difficulty concentrating. Your children react similarly. According toKids Health, school age children should get 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night while teens should get 8 to 9 hours of sleep. Establishing a bedtime is the key to ensuring your child gets enough sleep.

• Establish bedtime routines. Turn off the television and video games and have your child do something quiet for at least 30 minutes before lights out. She can play quietly in her room, read with you, or play a quiet bedtime game found on HubPages.
• Be the boss. It is important that the parent determine the bedtime, not the child. Discuss your child’s bedtime with her so she knows the expectations. But be sure she realizes that you will ultimately make the final decision about what time she will go to bed.
• Stick to it. If your child is like most, she is a master at stalling for a later bedtime. Stick with it, and don’t allow her to put off bedtime routines.
• Keep it the same. Fight the urge to allow her to stay up extra late on the weekends or school holidays. Occasionally, it won’t be harmful, but try to stick to the routine as much as possible—no matter what the day of week it is.

If your child hasn’t had a specific bed time before, do some research to help yourself establish one. For younger children, iVillage offers good some advice. For your school age children, Berkely Parents Network might help you establish rituals. Still having trouble? Kids Health offers some solutions to various bedtime blues.

Summer Schedules

• Oakwood Academy Elementary 
• Oakwood Academy Preschool 
• Oak Tree Preschool 
• Creative Day Preschool 

Elementary School Forms

• Elementary Enrollment Contract 
• Behavior and Discipline Contract 
• Health Report Form 

Preschool Forms

• Preschool Enrollment Contract 
• Consent for Medical Treatment Form 
• Health History Form 
• Parent Rights Form 
• Physicians Report Form 
• School Emergency Form 

Parents

We are always excited to meet prospective students. Oakwood Schools admit qualified students without regard to sex, race, religion, or creed. We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to register your child for school. Simply follow the steps below.

Steps to Admission:

• Arrange for a tour of one or all of our campuses
• Meet the Director/Principal and staff
• Arrange for an assessment evaluation (elementary only)
• Fill out registration packet and pay registration fees

We’ve included the forms you will need to register your child at the side of this page. When you register your child, please make sure to also bring the following items with you:

• Child’s original birth certificate
• Immunization records

Please note, kindergarten students must be five years of age on or before September 1 in order to be enrolled in school.

Providing a healthy environment for our students is very important to us. That’s why we ask all children to be current on their immunizations before they begin school. We’ve included an immunization list for you as well as a link to the Department of Health at the side of this page.

Activities